Diane Rivers

Diane Rivers

Associate Director

I am a 5th-generation Floridian, a hiker, kayaker, poet, artist, photographer, and retired FBI agent. I grew up in Key West and Miami, vacationing most summers in the Carolinas: South Carolina to visit extended family, North Carolina to enjoy the mountains. I decided then that I would end up here someday.

A  graduate of  the University of Florida, I spent the early part of my career in advertising, public relations, and association management in Miami, New Orleans, and Washington, DC before setting my sights on the FBI. I was appointed as a Special Agent, graduated from the FBI Academy, and was transferred to the Midwest, where I spent most of my law enforcement career.

After 21 years as a “Fed”, I went the self-employment route as a Corporate Security Investigator for a large insurance company in Chicago. In 2018, I finally packed up and left the frigid north for the beauty of the mountains. I now hold a Certificate of Merit from the NC Arboretum as a Blue Ridge Naturalist, which enables me to experience this beautiful area in new and profound ways. I’m especially pleased to be a part of the Waterfall Keepers of NC team.